Iran's oil imports fell 'dramatically' in the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 21, standing at 5.7 million liters per day, according to a report by the Oil Ministry's news agency Shana on Wednesday.
Shana quoted the head of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) Mohammad Reza Mousavikhah as saying the country, given its domestic consumption of oil, would normally need to import 9 million liters per day during spring, but 'due to the inauguration of new petrol production projects, imports fell dramatically'.
'We are exerting every effort to minimize the country's petrol imports,' the senior energy official said.
He said the NIOPDC had no trouble in distributing oil across the country, adding the company distributed 3.5 million liters daily of premium oil, which might fluctuate from time to time.
Earlier in July, Iran launched the second phase of the Persian Gulf Star Refinery (Bandar Abbas Gas Condensate Refinery), adding 12 million per day to the country's oil production capacity, according to the report.
Developed in three phases, the facility is being developed for the daily supply of 36 million liters of oil, it said.
By Hale Turkes
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr